Apologies From Referees: They Don't Mean Anything So Bring in the Technology

Not for the first time this summer, Cristiano Ronaldo found himself on all the back pages this weekend. This time, however, it wasn't his doing that got him there. No, instead it was a dodgy refereeing decision. Shockingly, it was a ref giving a penalty to Manchester United at Old Trafford. (I know, I couldn't believe it either!)

The man who was at the centre of the controversy was Rob Styles. Again.

This time he gave a penalty to Manchester United for J'Lloyd Samuel's excellent tackle on Cristiano Ronaldo. Samuel must have been fuming when he saw Styles point to the spot. It's rare, and brave, to even attempt a tackle on Ronaldo in the box, so if you make a fair tackle, and then get penalised, you're allowed to feel a little aggrieved.

What's more, Rob Styles was in the perfect position to see Samuel's boot take the ball, yet he still gave the penalty.

We're unlikely to see Mr. Styles refereeing a Premier League game for a week or two, as punishment for this error.

But that is all it was—an error. We all make them. Rob Styles was just in the unfortunate situation in that millions worldwide witnessed his.

Going on about this mistake isn't going to affect it, so why are people still talking about it? Styles has had his punishment, or should do soon, so we should all move on. It is by no means the worst decision of the year. Just ask Reading.

Eventually, Rob Styles also came out and acknowledged his error, and apologised to Keith Hackett, the head of referees. Hackett will probably send this apology on to Bolton Wanderers.

That is all Rob Styles could have done after making that mistake.

However, that apology is meaningless. The staff don't care, the players don't care, and the fan's don't care. The game has been and gone, and Styles probably cost them a point, which could be vital later on in the season.

Something, therefore, needs to be done. All referees make mistakes. It is human nature. I still remember the penalty Styles gave against Steve Finnan when Liverpool met Chelsea.

So if it is human nature to make mistakes, we need something that is not human.

Technology!

I was never really sure if technology was needed until Saturday. Now I am.

Why can't we have the same sort of 'Third Umpire' thing they use in cricket, or the 'Video Ref' in rugby? If there is a controversial incident, you go to the video ref, either stopping the game or waiting until the ball goes out, and let him make the choice.

Things like this for goal-line technology is a must, so we can avoid any repeats of Pedro Mendes' "goal" against Manchester United a few years ago.

But would it work for penalty decisions? Well, the main problem is that the video ref is also, obviously, going to be human, and will, therefore, be affected by the human nature of making mistakes.

His opinion may differ from the majority of others, causing debates over whether they themselves are reliable.

It is by no means a perfect solution, but I think it is a vast improvement on what we have at the moment. The video ref's ability to slow the action down will, of course, lead to fewer mistakes.

It would help to avoid unnecessary controversy, take a lot of pressure off referees, and could even help to clamp down on things like diving.

Whatever happens, the introduction of technology in football can't be too far away. Can it?